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Santalum insulare

A‘i (MT)

Polynesian Sandalwood

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Image:	Leaves and flowers	55KB
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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Polynesian Sandalwood, Polynesian Sandalwood

TRADITIONAL NAMES: A‘i / Maramia (MT)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Southeast Polynesia (Cooks - French Polynesia)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native, Endemic of se.Polynesia; Land

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Nationally endangered (critically)Medicine,

KEY FEATURES: Small tree, to 4m. LEAVES opposite, adjacent pairs at right angles; dull above, pale below; oval widest-toward-the-base, to oval; to 4x2cm; tip narrow and rounded; petiole short. FLOWERS terminal; compact clusters; small, 6mmØ; four petals, fleshy, yellowish furry outside, white inside; anthers short, yellow.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
-	-	-	-	+	-	-		-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Santalum insulare Bertero
SYNONYMS: Santalum insulare var. mitiaro

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Santalales; SANTALACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
BIODIVERSITY: Nationally endangered (critically). Comment: Known from two small sites on Miti‘āro where the endemic variety flowers but produces no fruits. NBSAP - Mitiaro (1 of 4 wild plants)
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine,. Comments: Grated fragrant wood used to scent coconut oil for medicine for headaches, earaches and boils. (AW90)

GENERAL NOTE: Mitiaro variety is most closely related to the Tahitian endemic variety (Santalum insulare var. insulare) which is endangered on Tahiti. There are several other varieties endemic to different parts of French Polynesia.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.354c Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM03a, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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